Connections & formats

Bit-perfect

Also called bit-perfect playback, exclusive mode

Bit-perfect playback means the audio data reaches the DAC exactly as stored in the file, with no resampling, mixing or volume processing by the computer along the way. It is the software side of keeping a lossless chain lossless.

Normally the operating system mixer resamples every app to one rate, for example a 96 kHz file to 48 kHz, and can apply digital volume. Exclusive mode bypasses the mixer, so the DAC receives the file data unaltered at its own rate.

Operating systems normally mix every app’s audio to one Sample rate, which converts the music on the fly. Exclusive or "hog" mode in players such as Roon, Audirvana or foobar2000, and on Android via apps that bypass the mixer, hands the DAC the stream untouched and lets it switch rates to match each file.

The audible benefit of avoiding a competent resampler is small to none, but bit-perfect output is the only way to send DSD and the simplest way to be sure the FLAC you paid for arrives whole. A DAC’s display showing the file’s own rate is the usual check.

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